Back and Chest Muscle Spasms in morning

HELP! I've been using , since August 2014, a Resmed Escape C-Pap machine. Pressure is set at 13. Have a H5i Humidifier, set at 3.5, and a non heated hose. Using a Phillips Respironics Amara full face mask, with cloth liners. I have had 2 stents inserted earlier in the year. This was the cause for seeing a sleep disorder Dr. I sometimes have serious back to chest muscle spasms after using machine for 5 to 6 hrs. I get up, move around, or take a hot shower. The pain then subsides after 20 to 30 minutes. This doesn't happen every night. When it does, it's for 2 or 3 nights in a row. I try to sleep on my back, with my head elevated. but, at times, I do shift to my side in the middle of the night. I am thinking that side sleeping is an initiator. Not sure. I have tried taking stomach acid pills to see if they may be the culprit. No luck. I did not have this problem until I started using C-Pap machine. I have discussed this issue with my Cardiologist and my Sleep Disorder Dr. Neither have heard of it or have solutions. Some other C-Pap sites have related this issue, with no results. Just people all talking about the same issue. So I know it's not just me. Anyone on this site ever heard or have advise on this? Please?

First - why are you trying to sleep on your back - it causes more apneas! And it may contribute to your spasms if it's an unnatural position for you to be in... we often tense up when first starting Cpap as if any movement would dislodge things, but it's (shouldn't be, anyhow) not necessary and together with whatever (possibly old?) bed you have, might not be a great help. If your mask won't stay on or leaks if you side sleep, then work on getting the right mask, right size, right fitting. Plus some people also have sore chest muscles when starting out because Cpap is causing them to move a bit more than prior to Cpap, but that should go away in time as well. I'm not sure you'd be conscious of the stents, though your cardiologist could tell you more.

Although...if you ask Palerider, he will tell you that the first time he tried xPAP, he slept for 8+ hours straight without moving...and woke up with an arm that he couldn't feel. So...maybe you're NOT moving at night, and manage to do so in a not completely "right" position? Is it possible you have some muscles that have knots that need to be worked out because otherwise they occasionally flare up?

You know...when we get older, we can almost sprain muscles by "sleeping wrong"...been there, done that.

Perhaps you should ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist.
I know a good stretch is way better than a shot of whatever else helps with the pain.

chunkyfrog wrote:Perhaps you should ask your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist.
I know a good stretch is way better than a shot of whatever else helps with the pain.

Ya...and we have this massage therapist near me who does Swedish deep tissue massages...makes me feel like someone turned my truck on me in an unfair fight for a day or so, but WOW...when the muscles loosen up and can fully RELAX...like a miracle.

Julie wrote:First - why are you trying to sleep on your back - it causes more apneas! And it may contribute to your spasms if it's an unnatural position for you to be in... we often tense up when first starting Cpap as if any movement would dislodge things, but it's (shouldn't be, anyhow) not necessary and together with whatever (possibly old?) bed you have, might not be a great help. If your mask won't stay on or leaks if you side sleep, then work on getting the right mask, right size, right fitting. Plus some people also have sore chest muscles when starting out because Cpap is causing them to move a bit more than prior to Cpap, but that should go away in time as well. I'm not sure you'd be conscious of the stents, though your cardiologist could tell you more.

https://www.yahoo.com/health/the-best-s ... 97242.html

Thank you all for your input. I was under the impression that sleeping with your head elevated on your back would reduce the apnea. Anyway, since my pain seems to get worse when I sleep on my side, I really don't want to try that. Can you sleep face down with your head to the side using a full face mask? I haven't tried it. I was also thinking that having the air forced down into your lungs using the C-Pap, would that cause chest discomfort? Shouldn't I be getting used to that if that were the cause? Again , Thank You All!

I sleep alone ('cept for my cat) and so can get away with this - I cut a 2 or 3" wide, 4" deep and 1' long 'trench' in my memory foam mattress starting at the head and going towards the foot, with an electric knife, and rounded top edges with scissors. I have a FF mask and when sleeping on my front with my head turned right, the mask dips into the trench diagonally or more vertically, avoiding a very sore neck in the a.m. I've also cut and fiddled with sheets to accommodate things, but have been sleeping like this for years, and so far so good. Important to mention is that my particular mask's vent holes are higher on the mask than most (which are usually at the elbow), so foam or sheet don't block holes but likely could for other masks.

I had sore chest for a while when I started on cpap. As long as you have checked with your docs and they say it is not cardiac related, you can either wait it out or do what I did, start a modest exercise program of walking three days a week and resistance traing three days a week. This helped me eliminate the soreness, and helped me lose a little weight.